


The Elevator (Ending)

by Wxlipse



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Based on the story "The Elevator" by William Sleater, I'm too lazy to put other tags, Written for a Class
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:55:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25398013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wxlipse/pseuds/Wxlipse
Summary: Some thing I wrote during eighth grade for an assignment.





	The Elevator (Ending)

The elevator let out a shriek and stopped with a sudden force that it could’ve knocked anyone over. Martin gripped his hands around his crutches, and they turned a harsh pale bone-white. He looked up at the fat lady, trying not to look afraid. She looked at him, her eyes staring at his. Fear coursed throughout his entire body.

“How do you know my name?!” he shuddered, his legs shaking as if they would fall off any second. The fat lady grinned at him. She didn’t laugh or say something. All she did was a smile.

The smile looked so sinister Martin was pretty sure it could kill him. He wanted to close his eyes and wish that the fat lady would go away. He hoped that the elevator would start up again. He held there, hesitant to move.

“This elevator isn’t going anywhere,” she said. Her voice sounding as if someone had laced it with thin glass that would shatter any second. She leaned toward him, her feet planted down on the elevator floor as if they had been glued. The elevator groaned from her weight and she stared right at Martin, her eyes directly at his. Her eyes were wide and staring at him, unblinking with ease. He didn’t know if she let off a strange odor, or he was sweating so much. He only knew he had to get off the elevator. Martin’s eyes darted from the fat lady’s to the buttons on the elevator. The buttons glowed brightly, as if waiting for someone to press them. If he could press the buttons, perhaps the elevator would start up again. But he had to be quick, Martin guessed that the fat lady was detecting his every move. Martin began to limp toward the buttons.

“What are you doing?!” the fat lady exclaimed. Her voice suddenly so high pitched that Martin almost stopped moving to cover his ears. Yet, he continued towards the elevator buttons, reaching his hand out, leaning as far as he could. He looked back and could see the fat lady waddling towards him, and instantly looked away from her. His fear rising even higher than it had ever been before. He pressed the Open button as hard as he could. The elevator started up again, shaking as it continued upward. Martin stayed near the elevator doors, ready to run out as soon as possible. 

With a loud ding, the elevator stopped at Floor Seventeen. And Martin instantly jumped out, leg injury and all, just as the fat lady tried to grab him. He thought he heard the fat lady shouting, but that didn’t stop him. He ran until he got back to his room and tried to open the locked door. Once he was about to give in, his father opened the door. He looked at Martin, and Martin let out the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding until now.

He was relieved to finally be out of the elevator. His father, however, stared at Martin with a frown on his face. Martin swallowed, knowing his father must be disappointed in him. He felt all his pride suddenly slip away and walked to his room once his father stepped to the side. He felt like crying, but all he could do was feel ashamed of himself. He could’ve stopped the fat lady from pressing the stop button. And since his father didn’t believe him about her, he would mostly believe it was Martin, no matter what evidence he had. 

A coward, Martin thought, shivering. A coward who can’t even stand up for himself. He lay on his bed for the rest of the night. The next day, Martin rode the elevator, worried the fat lady would get on again. To his shock, she never did, even on his way back from school. This continued for almost a year, and Martin for once could ride the elevator with ease.

One day, once he got back from school and he went towards the elevator As he was about to press the Up button, he saw a swarm of people running towards the doors. Martin would’ve been flattened to a pancake if he hadn’t moved in time. The elevator doors opened, ready for their next passenger. Martin didn’t get on. Instead, he ran to the nearest attendant and shook them as hard as he could. He didn’t stop until he got their attention.

“What’s going on?!” Martin exclaimed, and the attendant stared at him, shocked.

“Haven’t you heard? There’s a fire! Everyone is supposed to evacuate! And you should too--,” but Martin had darted away before they could finish. He looked around for his father but didn’t see him in the crowd of terrified people. However, he did see an old couple, struggling to reach the doors, the woman in a wheelchair. Martin ran towards them. Coughing on the smoke that seeped through the vents. Once he reached the, he grabbed the wheelchair and looked at the elderly man.

“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine,” Martin reassured him. The old man didn’t try to prevent Martin from not helping his wife. Slowly, but surely, Martin assisted the old couple as they escaped to the doors. Darting out just as the building went up in flames.

“Are you alright?” Martin asked, looking directly at them. The old woman, then took his hand in hers, trembling with not fear but gratitude.

“Thank you! Thank you so much kind sir!” her husband patted him on the shoulder.

“She’s right, we didn’t know if we would make it out alive.” Martin beamed, glad that they were both safe. But, his father… He looked back at the building, now a smoldering mess. Martin scanned the large crowd of escapees. And saw his father, covered in soot. He walked towards him and didn’t say anything.

“Day I’m sorry I didn’t--” but he was cut off, as his father gave him a huge hug.

“I’m proud of you Martin,” he father rasped, still coughing a bit on smoke.

“Y- you are?” Martin asked, shocked to hear those words coming from someone, especially his father. His father laughed,

“Of course I am, you saved these two,” he gestured towards the old couple who waved back.

“Rather than just saving yourself, you decided to save others. And that’s a brave thing for someone to do.” Martin beamed, suddenly feeling pride from his fingertips to his toes. The old couple clapped, and his father grabbed his arm and raised it high.

“Everyone! My son here, rather than saving just himself. Decided to save these two elderly people! And I am proud to call him family!” A loud round of applause greeted his words and Martin looked around at the crowds of people cheering, from adults to children, to dating couples, and everyone who had escaped the fire. Martin’s father then gestured for the applause to go down, but that didn’t stop them. They cheered until they couldn’t anymore. Just as the praise died down, the crowd dispersed, hugging family members and assisting their children. Just as Martin and his father were about to leave, a woman with a notepad in her hands and a cameraman ran over to them.

“Sir, I’m so sorry to bother you but I’d love to interview your son!” the woman exclaimed. Martin almost said, “Yes!” to her, but stopped himself. He didn’t want to be famous. He didn’t want people at school following him around. No. He wanted to be himself, no matter how cowardly, and skinny he was. Even if it meant people would still bully him.

“I’m sorry Ma’am, but I can’t accept.” Martin said, the woman smiled at him.

“Don’t worry dear! I’ve heard from many people ever since I've had this job. Not many desire to be well-known,” Martin smiled and waved goodbye to the two. The old couple had been taken away to be reunited with their family. Martin looked at the two and waved goodbye to them. The couple waved back along with their family. Martin then turned around and walked with his father to the car. He sat in the backseat, and stared out the window as they drove away from the apartment. They drove on for about two hours when Martin sat up.

“Where are we going to stay?” he asked, biting his lip.

“I’ve booked a hotel for now,” his father replied, 

“However, they said that the stairs were being fixed” Martin nodded and his father continued to drive until they reached the hotel. As Martin and his father approached the hotel, Martin noticed the large letters glowing brightly that read “Dark Willow Hotel.” He walked into the hotel and sat down while his father received their room number. After what seemed like ages to Martin, his father finally came over a room key in his hands. Martin got up from the chair, and the two walked towards the elevator. Once they stepped on, Martin faced the doors as they were closing and could've sworn he saw a familiar shape. The figure turned and looked Martin straight in the eye as the elevator doors closed. Martin didn't see the rest of their body but knew those eyes belonged to only one person. The fat lady.

The End


End file.
